|
What is proper pillion etiquette anyway? I’ve never been nor taken a passenger. Move your head and nothing else?
|
#
?
Jul 1, 2021 15:31
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 17, 2024 05:08 |
|
|
Toe Rag posted:What is proper pillion etiquette anyway? I’ve never been nor taken a passenger. Move your head and nothing else? Basically. Don't move around when the bike's moving slowly, especially in slow corners. If you need to adjust your seating, wait until the bike is stopped and the rider has a foot down or the bike is moving forward in a straight line at >20mph. Use the grab rail to brace yourself if the bike has one, otherwise put your hands on the rider's hips. Use hand signals or a comms unit to communicate with the rider. The rider should tell you when they're braking, getting ready for a turn, etc. and you should tell them if you need a break, want them to slow down, that you need to move on the seat, etc. DON'T loving SMACK YOUR HELMET INTO THE BACK OF THE RIDER'S HELMET. Most passengers don't realize that being on the back of a bike is not the same passive experience of being a passenger in a car. It's unnerving to have the bike start wobbling around underneath you while you're coming to a stop because your pillion couldn't wait 5 seconds to slide back on the seat, or have to adjust your line in a corner because "LOOK A COW!". For the rider, if you have a passenger you need to be super-smooth on the brakes and shifting gears or you're gonna have a bad time. Jazzzzz fucked around with this message at 17:25 on Jul 1, 2021 |
|
#
?
Jul 1, 2021 17:15
|
|
|
Toe Rag posted:What is proper pillion etiquette anyway? I’ve never been nor taken a passenger. Move your head and nothing else? I’m interested in learning pillion if you want a guinea pig
|
|
#
?
Jul 1, 2021 17:29
|
|
|
Anyone tried one of the combo powerbank/tire inflators? There's a bunch on Amazon and if they aren't garbage it seems like a better solution then hoping I have enough co2 cartridges on hand.
|
|
#
?
Jul 1, 2021 17:30
|
|
|
As a pillion, try and anticipate traffic like you would when you're riding. It's really important to try and anticipate when the rider's gonna shift and brake, because it's quite annoying if your helmet smacks into the other person's helmet with each gear shift. Doesn't hurt or something, but it's jarring/distracting. On approaching an intersection or traffic light, grab the hand rail behind you. Otherwise, if the rider brakes hard, you will slide forward and push the rider's balls right into the tank and that really loving hurts. Happened to me twice when i had to brake unexpectedly when the pillion was just holding my body. When accelerating or when hard braking is unlikely to happen, it's fine to put your hands somewhere else. Cuddling while riding is loving awesome :3 i absolutely love riding with pillions who are also very close friends or dates. On quite a few sports bikes, your pillion may be sticking out higher than yourself. If you're cornering quite aggressively, keep in mind that leaned over your pillion will be a lot closer to the people on the other side of the road when leaned over heavily. With heavy people on the back, understeer is a definite possibility. Also you gotta brake considerably harder. If you bottom out the suspension already on small bumps, you may wanna adjust the preload on the rear suspension. LimaBiker fucked around with this message at 18:03 on Jul 1, 2021 |
|
#
?
Jul 1, 2021 17:55
|
|
|
Yeah the handling definitely changes, consider that you're adding a large fraction of the bike's weight right over the back wheel. This also means you can get more use out of the rear brake than you might normally, which, depending on the bike, may mean "any use at all". I didn't think about the height difference meaning the backseat would be physically closer to the inside of the turn, that's a good thing to remember. I guess don't cut quite so close to the lines at apex. I don't know what it is, but I've never had an issue with squashing my balls against the tank. Maybe I'm not braking as hard as I could be? I've definitely locked the front a few times but I've never stoppied. Or, this year I'm working on supporting myself from my core rather than my arms, so maybe I've been bracing against the bars when I stop and that's kept me from sliding.
|
|
#
?
Jul 1, 2021 18:29
|
|
|
If your bike doesn't have a grab rail or your pillion can't find it easily, they can prevent the slide-forward-smashed-nuts scenario by reaching around you and bracing their hands on the tank
|
|
#
?
Jul 1, 2021 19:07
|
|
|
Jazzzzz posted:If your bike doesn't have a grab rail or your pillion can't find it easily, they can prevent the slide-forward-smashed-nuts scenario by reaching around you and bracing their hands on the tank Newbie thread: prevent smashed nuts, reach around and brace
|
|
#
?
Jul 1, 2021 19:12
|
|
|
Wouldn't just properly straddling the tank also work?
|
|
#
?
Jul 1, 2021 19:46
|
|
|
As a rider you can try to grab the tank with your knees/thighs and brace. It will help a bit, but it's kinda the pillion's job to look ahead with you and not smash into you.
|
|
#
?
Jul 1, 2021 21:28
|
|
|
I found myself rolling off the throttle too much on turns again today. Not even coasting with the clutch in, just like, cutting more power than I thought I needed to. Resulting in two sloppy turns at like snail speed. I do roll back on the throttle gingerly but as I mentioned in my last few posts I’m always worried about doing that in second gear since throttle response can be choppy so I don’t want to slide the tire out by accidentally giving it too many beans. Pretty deflating since I thought I had beat this. I’ve been making it a point to brake look and lean properly with constant pressure on the throttle, but then every now and then I just brain fart and think I’ve rolled off a little throttle when in fact I’ve just brought the bike to like, idle. I mean, not a disaster, and maybe I’m livejournaling this more than I should be. Just a thing that happened. I’ll fix it.
|
|
#
?
Jul 1, 2021 21:36
|
|
|
My wife who is 60something kilos is barely noticeable on the back of the Harley. I occasionally look back to see if she’s still there. She’s an excellent pillion passenger, probably because she rides too. She barely affects anything other than gas mileage a tad and a bit more braking distance. Zero impact on corners thus far. She did once go “aaaaa!” when I really gave it some beans when the speed limit went from 30 to 50.
|
|
#
?
Jul 1, 2021 22:01
|
|
|
TheBacon posted:I’m interested in learning pillion if you want a guinea pig You want to learn to ride on the back of a bike, or having a passenger? I mean, I'm down either way. Is there a parking lot we can met up at, or just be as reckless as possible and do this on 84?
|
|
#
?
Jul 1, 2021 22:26
|
|
|
Toe Rag posted:You want to learn to ride on the back of a bike, or having a passenger? I mean, I'm down either way. Is there a parking lot we can met up at, or just be as reckless as possible and do this on 84? I more meant putting my fat rear end behind you, but really both I guess idk. A parking lot might be better for the first 5 minutes heh than balls out, but I wouldn't mind going on real roads, maybe parking lot meet up then ride to 35/84 to get used to it? I am a bit busy the next couple weeks but end of the month (DC gods being kind to me) I should be more free.
|
|
#
?
Jul 2, 2021 02:20
|
|
|
Plan on at least doubling your braking distance to start and adjust as necessary as you get the feel for the extra weight. Channel every bit of smooth operation you have in you.
|
|
#
?
Jul 2, 2021 02:43
|
|
|
TheBacon posted:I more meant putting my fat rear end behind you, but really both I guess idk. Yeah sure just text or PM me. Start at a parking lot for sure and if we’re feeling adventurous I know a deserted strip of road with an ace corner in the middle. I bought a pin wrench so we can adjust the preload.  HenryJLittlefinger posted:Plan on at least doubling your braking distance to start and adjust as necessary as you get the feel for the extra weight. Channel every bit of smooth operation you have in you. 
|
|
#
?
Jul 2, 2021 20:42
|
|
|
We are getting some much needed rain in the desert (yay monsoons) this weekend and I'm excited to go practice some riding on wet pavement.
|
|
#
?
Jul 3, 2021 01:25
|
|
|
Toe Rag posted:What is proper pillion etiquette anyway? I’ve never been nor taken a passenger. Move your head and nothing else? Stay in line with the driver and anticipate stops so you don’t three stooges your helmets together
|
|
#
?
Jul 3, 2021 17:03
|
|
|
Toe Rag posted:You want to
|
|
#
?
Jul 3, 2021 18:59
|
|
|
bizwank posted:Anyone tried one of the combo powerbank/tire inflators? There's a bunch on Amazon and if they aren't garbage it seems like a better solution then hoping I have enough co2 cartridges on hand. They’re chunky (a bit bigger than two fists) and not really suitable for carrying on a bike under the seat. Handy if you’ve got limited access/storage for an air-compressor or even track pump near your vehicles. I kept mine on-charge in the boot of my car.
|
|
#
?
Jul 3, 2021 21:14
|
|
|
Had an amazing five hour ride today out to Niagra Falls. Mostly back country roads to get there, then all lakeshore around lake Erie. I was supremely disappointed on the way back though. I thought I had overcome my highway issues but all of a sudden they were all back. As if they'd never gone. I pulled off to the service roads instead and it was like you could tell exactly when my confidence went. 70-80kph? Fine. No worries. I'm breezin'. Not a care in the world. 90+ and just instant feeling of "I'm going too fast, I'm not comfortable, this is bad". This wasn't other traffic, or road conditions. It was me, alone on a two lane road with no cars in front of or behind me. In the end I managed it at 80-90kph on service roads but I never did go back on the highway today. I really need to get over this, but it's such a mental block. I'm not sure if it's because I was riding alone since I peeled off from my buddy who was riding with me earlier, or whether the five hours had just dulled my brain and I was tired and cranky, but this can't keep happening. At the same time, I'm not even sure how to approach this. I can tell myself this is a safe space, I am in control of my vehicle, there are no other cars, I am not going to inexplicably lose control of my motorcycle, but that doesn't dull the fear. Sorry for the livejournal, it's just a really crushing thing to have happen after a brilliant day out and I guess I need to get it out of my system.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2021 01:32
|
|
|
Don’t focus on it too much. I’ve been riding for a while and I just loving hate highways. My bike is arguably the best motorcycle for riding on the highway and ten times out of ten I’d rather take back roads. I turned a 1.5 hour ride into a 4 hour ride a few weeks ago just because I don’t like highways that much. I’ve seen the argument that the highway is safer because there’s less to consider. No intersections, fewer opportunities for wild poo poo to come out of nowhere. But the monotony can lull you into a false sense of complacency where you let your guard down, and the stakes are much higher when you’re going that fast. I have the titanium to prove it. It’s alright to not enjoy the highway. The highway sucks.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2021 03:51
|
|
|
Highway/motorway is boring as hell, you have the choice of dicing with psychos or powering past and enticing the cops, and it's loving exhausting. A decent backroad is invigorating even if you're doing snails pace on your enfield or whatever. The highway is how appliances most efficiently reach their destination.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2021 04:15
|
|
|
Horse Clocks posted:They’re chunky (a bit bigger than two fists) and not really suitable for carrying on a bike under the seat.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2021 04:17
|
|
|
Martytoof posted:Had an amazing five hour ride today out to Niagra Falls. Mostly back country roads to get there, then all lakeshore around lake Erie. I was supremely disappointed on the way back though. I thought I had overcome my highway issues but all of a sudden they were all back. As if they'd never gone. I’ve got anxiety and am also pretty risk averse so a lot of my anxiety manifests in getting myself all twisted up about possible consequences of the risky (as I perceive) things I do. Even if it’s not a pathological level, managing anxiety takes practice and introspection, especially about things that are still relatively new to you. My therapist recently spent a session holding a model of a brain and talking me through the physiological processes of an anxiety episode. In short, there is increased activity in the amygdala via a cascade of neurotransmitters that contribute to the physical symptoms (increased heart rate, narrowing vision, increased respiration). The mental component manifests in an inability to focus on technical tasks, concentrate on conversation, navigate, and can cause things like target fixation, literal and figurative. One great way to get your sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems back under control is to fire up the hippocampus and shift your mental activity to technical things that eventually override the physiological and emotional response to stressors. Do math problems, focus on everything you see and describe your physical setting (maybe even out loud) to yourself, take off your shoes and very deliberately put them back on. I like to do factors of 2 (2,4,8,16,32,...) as far as I can and start over when I get lost. It’s not ignoring whatever the source of stress is, or figuratively covering your ears and going “la la la la la” to your limbic system, it’s shifting your brain processes back to critical thinking and focused problem solving, which is what riding a motorcycle is a lot of the time. Not that you have an anxiety disorder, but it works the same way in normal people too, just to a lesser degree. Your brain needs a lot of fuel to do this to, especially if it’s a little fatigued from doing a relatively intense technical skill for a few hours leading up to that point. So there’s never a bad time to eat a snack on a ride, and get your hydration up.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2021 05:53
|
|
|
Thanks everyone, for the insight and replies. The most startling thing to me, less focusing on "I don't like the highway or high speed" was just that it was super binary -- at speeds up to 80kph I was fine, as soon as the speedo ticked over to 81 or something I was "I am out of control I am going to crash" and I start to visualize all the scenarios where I tumble off my bike, no matter what evidence to the contrary was presented to me (I'm going in a straight line, no cars behind or in front of me, literally no side streets for five minutes, I am firmly planted against the motorcyce, wind is manageable, etc). Just a switch that said "ok now begin to panic". I think part of it was that I was just exhausted and that probably amplified any inherent dislike of high speed I may have (which I do, I just don't normally freak out about it). HenryJ, your reply contained some super valuable info, thank you friend. While your post wasn't intended to suggest a diagnosis in me, I was recently diagnosed with AADHD but I think there may be an anxiety component there that has gone undiagnosed. I'll talk to my doctor about this next time I visit. In the meantime, the other stuff is really good food for thought. On another slightly related subject, you guys may already have suggested this before, but I realized that I might have a much better time on monotonous higher speed roads (physically, not mentally) if I adjust my throttle wrist so I'm not constantly cocked at 90 degrees at near WOT. I tend to be fairly static with the throttle -- I don't adjust my grip whether throttle is 10% or I'm going WOT. Which is usually fine for city and varied riding since I'm going back and forth depending on obstacles and the road, but when I'm doing 80 down a long open road there's no reason for me to have my wrist cocked; I should adjust it so my wrist is more straight and natural with the throttle wide. Didn't really occur to me until after I got home and realized my wrist was a little cramped. Slavvy posted:Highway/motorway is boring as hell Strife posted:It’s alright to not enjoy the highway. The highway sucks. I'm gratified to hear that it's a valid opinion to hold. Even if I figure out how to overcome my mental block of high speeds, I will likely continue back road riding. Right now I NEED to get past that block (because it's stupid that I don't give myself the option if I need it, and I need to do a highway portion of my final licensing course and right now I don't think I would confidently pass) but yeah -- highways suck  That said, I'll be glad to have some of my worry behind me. Cottage country is 4 hours away by car at speeding ticket speeds on the major 400 series hwy here. If I ever want to take my bike there it would be like a 14 hours back road ride and determined or not, that's just a lame way to spend your cottage time, especially when everything here is the same boring farmland.
some kinda jackal fucked around with this message at 15:25 on Jul 11, 2021 |
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2021 15:21
|
|
|
Martytoof posted:Thanks everyone, for the insight and replies. The most startling thing to me, less focusing on "I don't like the highway or high speed" was just that it was super binary -- at speeds up to 80kph I was fine, as soon as the speedo ticked over to 81 or something I was "I am out of control I am going to crash" and I start to visualize all the scenarios where I tumble off my bike, no matter what evidence to the contrary was presented to me (I'm going in a straight line, no cars behind or in front of me, literally no side streets for five minutes, I am firmly planted against the motorcyce, wind is manageable, etc). Just a switch that said "ok now begin to panic". I think part of it was that I was just exhausted and that probably amplified any inherent dislike of high speed I may have (which I do, I just don't normally freak out about it). Yeah don't just grip the throttle and twist and hold your wrist all bent. Here's a video that popped up on YouTube for me the other day that they goes over s few different ways to do it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AIx6-QWUYY Thinking about it I don't really do anything exactly like any of his examples. I'll pay attention on the way home today and type some words when I'm not on a phone.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2021 17:52
|
|
|
Have you ever tried doing highway speeds as a pillion? Perhaps that will help you over that imaginary, but still very real wall that blocks your progress. I know the first time i went 100km/h i was scared shitless. That was actually the 2nd time i ever rode a bike. I had no choice, the instructor made our group get onto the highway. Well, i could have refused and just stopped at the highway entrance but that would probably result in me never getting my motorcycle driver's license.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2021 20:36
|
|
|
Sounds like much more of a generalized anxiety thing than a bike specific thing. There's no signal from the bike that happens at 80km, the bike objectively gets more stable and easier to ride at highway speeds, you know all this already. I used to get anxious not about speed/fear but about using the engine *optimally*. This sounds stupid and irrelevant, but believe me it's not when you're barreling into corners staring at the tacho instead of looking where you're going. Just trying to force myself not to look at the needle didn't work and I would probably still be fighting it if it weren't for provenance: I fell into owning a super Sherpa. The SS has a borderline useless LCD speedo that's permanently two seconds behind but more importantly, no tacho whatsoever. It was utterly liberating, it felt like my riding ability doubled because I had so much bandwidth to spare just riding by feel. So what I'm saying is: put a piece of tape over your speedo and see if your problem goes away.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2021 21:56
|
|
|
I honestly do believe it’s undiagnosed anxiety, though it’s oddly specific as I’m not generally an anxious person otherwise. The speedo thing actually sounds like a really interesting test. I’m going to give it a shot this week, just to see. As you said, dynamics at higher speed should be easier so it’s got to be a mind game vs myself. I’ll be talking to my doctor about this a well, for sure. Haven’t tried pillioning at highway speeds, but I haven’t tried pillioning at ALL yet. Unfortunately I don’t know a single person I would trust with my life on two wheels other than me  That’s not a dig at any of my friends, I’m just not in the business of putting my life in the hands of someone’s reflexes. I’m not great about being a car passenger either, before you ask 
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2021 00:01
|
|
|
I rode 20 miles or so on the highway today because I wanted to get home and figured I should practice it a little more after reading your posts. 18 wheelers and shredded 18 wheeler tires and high wind and naked bike... well ok it wasn't as nerve wrecking as the last time (my first time), but it still sucks being around huge trucks with poor sight lines on a 2 lanes in one direction split highway. Not sure why everyone moans and groans about mt03 not being fast "enough" around 80mph. I had all the maneuverability I wanted and I'm even tall and on heavier side.
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2021 04:12
|
|
|
Russian Bear posted:I rode 20 miles or so on the highway today because I wanted to get home and figured I should practice it a little more after reading your posts. 18 wheelers and shredded 18 wheeler tires and high wind and naked bike... well ok it wasn't as nerve wrecking as the last time (my first time), but it still sucks being around huge trucks with poor sight lines on a 2 lanes in one direction split highway. Because they're pathetic weaklings that don't understand conserving momentum. Goes hand in hand with parking in the corners, wide open on the straights.
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2021 05:52
|
|
|
Russian Bear posted:18 wheelers and shredded 18 wheeler tires and high wind and naked bike I was in my car once and an 18 wheeler had a blowout a little ahead of me, and so much poo poo scattered across the highway and hit my hood/windshield. Now I can't stop thinking about that Mythbusters episode where they took the dummy's head off with a bit of truck tire (granted they had to fire it out of a pitching machine to get the angle right). I speed by every 18 wheeler immediately. The best place for them is behind me.
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2021 14:24
|
|
|
Exploding retreads from semis make me twitch. I've seen some nasty bodywork damage just done by other trucks running over chunks of tire laying on the road and throwing it into the car following them. Fuuuuuuck having 3lbs of retread launched at your head.
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2021 15:49
|
|
|
Slavvy posted:Highway/motorway is boring as hell, you have the choice of dicing with psychos or powering past and enticing the cops, and it's loving exhausting. A decent backroad is invigorating even if you're doing snails pace on your enfield or whatever. The highway is how appliances most efficiently reach their destination. Word. The highway is fatiguing, back roads are energizing. For me, the highway requires just as much of my attention as the backroad, but since I've got comparatively little to do, boredom and the sense of my own achey body sneaks in. When the twisties kick in, and I'm continually having to provide input to the bike to stay between the lines, that sense of my body starts to melt away until, with luck, the bike and I become a perceptual point moving through curved space. (It also helps that I'm moving around a bunch more, relieving the various muscles and joints that would be holding me into a very small range of locked positions on the highway.) Semitrailers aren't fun. Even setting aside the tire thing, which I can only think about in abstract, they punch aside huge amounts of air, making a broad area around and behind them punishing to ride in. To say nothing of how they behave in the mountains, especially the
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2021 18:30
|
|
|
On the backroads if you want to do 60 in an 80 cause you just want to go cruising slowly, you wave someone by and they just pass you like it's not a thing and you carry on having a nice day. On the highway if I want to do the speed limit and not 50% over because I'm a fuckin baby beginner and overwhelmed, the semi behind me will park himself five inches from my rear end and refuse to move until I crank it to 150 so I can change lanes and let him pass. "Ride your own ride" is meaningless to a guy in a 24 ton death machine on a schedule. some kinda jackal fucked around with this message at 18:45 on Jul 12, 2021 |
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2021 18:40
|
|
|
Requesting name change to 24 TON DEATH MACHINE tia Actually I'm a ten ton skeleton riding a 24 ton death machine and it sounds like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eD7NZTQ3QxY Slavvy fucked around with this message at 19:24 on Jul 12, 2021 |
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2021 19:20
|
|
|
No one would buy it, we all assume you're much more svelte
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2021 19:23
|
|
|
Did baby's first slip on exhaust this weekend. The Delkevic exhaust came with the bike so I figured I'd give it a shot. -10 lbs. +5 db. +1 hp. Lower fairing came off easy enough. Stock exhaust came off easy enough, it's quite the beefer. The supplied clamps worked fine with the tube to the muffler but not super well on the header side so I using both the OEM clamp as well as the supplied clamp but there is a bit of an exhaust leak despite loving around with it for a while. I used high temp sealant but maybe it just got blasted out the exhaust. Thinking of either using a beer can under the clamps and more sealant, or picking up some fiberfix heat wrap. Bike sounds good and louder and I don't think I put it into obnoxious territory.     numberoneposter fucked around with this message at 19:37 on Jul 12, 2021 |
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2021 19:34
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 17, 2024 05:08 |
|
|
numberoneposter posted:Did baby's first slip on exhaust this weekend. The Delkevic exhaust came with the bike so I figured I'd give it a shot. Lmao you didn't gain a horsepower don't kid yourself bud. In all likelihood you lost some. A worthwhile sacrifice for a cool noise, maybe.
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2021 19:36
|
|